To That Effect or To That Affect: Which Is Correct?

You’re wrapping up an email.

‘She said she’d help, or something to that effect.’

Then you pause. Is it ‘effect’ or ‘affect’ at the end?

Here’s the quick answer: ‘to that effect’ is the correct phrase.

‘To that affect’ is a common mistake, since ‘affect’ is almost always a verb, not a noun.

Did You Know?
Quick Answer Box
Quick Rule in One Line
Why ‘Effect’ Is Correct Here
The Broader Affect vs Effect Rule
“To This Effect”: Is It Also Correct?
“To the Effect Of”: A Related but Different Phrase
Comparison Table
Memory Trick
Example Sentences
Common Mistakes
When to Use Each Form
Expert Tip
FAQs
Conclusion

Did You Know? 🔍

There’s one rare exception to the usual affect/effect rule: ‘affect’ can be a noun in psychology, referring to an observable emotional expression, as in ‘the patient displayed flat affect.’

This is highly specialized usage and doesn’t apply to everyday phrases like ‘to that effect.’

Quick Answer Box

‘To that effect’ means ‘along those lines’ or ‘expressing something similar to that,’ and it’s the only correct version of this phrase.

‘To that affect’ is incorrect because the phrase needs a noun here, and ‘affect’ functions almost exclusively as a verb.

⚡ Quick Rule in One Line

It’s ‘to that effect,’ because ‘effect’ is the noun this phrase needs, not the verb ‘affect.’

Why ‘Effect’ Is Correct Here

‘To that effect’ means ‘expressing that general idea’ or ‘along those lines.’

‘He said he was busy, or something to that effect’ means he said something close to that, in essence.

This phrase needs a noun, since ‘effect’ here refers to the result, meaning, or gist of what was said or done.

‘Effect’ as a noun means a result or outcome, which fits this phrase exactly.

The Broader Affect vs Effect Rule

In general English, ‘affect’ is a verb meaning to influence something: ‘the weather affected our plans.’

‘Effect’ is usually a noun meaning a result: ‘the effect of the weather was a delay.’

This pattern holds in nearly every common phrase, including ‘to that effect,’ ‘in effect,’ and ‘for effect.’

The rare exception is ‘effect’ as a verb, meaning to bring about, as in ‘to effect change,’ which is a more formal, less common usage.

“To This Effect”: Is It Also Correct?

Yes. ‘To this effect’ follows the exact same rule as ‘to that effect.’

The choice between ‘this’ and ‘that’ depends on what you’re pointing to, not on which spelling of effect/affect is correct.

Use ‘this’ when referring to something you’re about to say or just said: ‘She sent an email to this effect, confirming the change.’

Use ‘that’ when referring back to something already mentioned earlier in the conversation.

“To the Effect Of”: A Related but Different Phrase

‘To the effect of’ is a related phrase, often used before a specific quote or a close paraphrase of what someone said or wrote.

Example: ‘He wrote a letter to the effect of resigning immediately.’

Like the other versions of this phrase, it always uses ‘effect,’ never ‘affect.’

‘To the affect of’ is incorrect in every context, for the same verb-versus-noun reason covered above.

Comparison Table

Feature	Effect	Affect
Most common part of speech	Noun	Verb
Meaning	A result or outcome	To influence or impact
Correct in ‘to that/this ___’	Yes	No
Example	The medicine had no effect.	The medicine didn’t affect me.

Memory Trick

Remember: ‘Affect’ is usually an Action (both start with A), and ‘Effect’ is usually the End result (both start with E).

‘To that effect’ is about the end result or gist of what was said, so ‘effect’ fits the pattern. The same logic applies to ‘to this effect’ and ‘to the effect of.’

Example Sentences

She mentioned she was quitting, or said something to that effect.
The memo stated that meetings were canceled, or words to that effect.
He nodded and said something to that effect during the interview.
They issued a statement to that effect earlier this week.
He wrote a note to this effect before leaving the office.
The announcement was made to the effect of a company-wide policy change.

Common Mistakes

❌ ‘He agreed, or said something to that affect.’

✅ ‘He agreed, or said something to that effect.’ (needs the noun ‘effect’)

❌ ‘The company released a statement to that affect.’

✅ ‘The company released a statement to that effect.’

❌ ‘She wrote a note to this affect.’

✅ ‘She wrote a note to this effect.’

❌ ‘He spoke to the affect of quitting his job.’

✅ ‘He spoke to the effect of quitting his job.’

When to Use Each Form

Always use ‘to that effect,’ ‘to this effect,’ or ‘to the effect of’ when you mean ‘along those lines’ or ‘expressing something similar.’

There is no correct everyday use of ‘affect’ in any of these phrases; it’s simply a misspelling of the correct word, ‘effect.’

Expert Tip 💡

If you’re ever unsure while writing this phrase, try substituting ‘result’ or ‘gist.’

If ‘result’ or ‘gist’ fits, you need ‘effect,’ confirming the correct spelling of this phrase, whether it’s ‘that,’ ‘this,’ or ‘the effect of.’

FAQs

Is ‘to that affect’ ever correct?

No, in everyday writing, ‘to that effect’ is the only correct version of this phrase.

Why do people confuse ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ so often?

Because they’re pronounced similarly and both relate to influence or results, making it easy to mix up which one is the noun and which is the verb.

What does ‘to that effect’ actually mean?

It means ‘expressing a similar idea’ or ‘along those lines,’ often used when paraphrasing something someone said or wrote.

Is there ever a correct use of ‘affect’ as a noun?

Yes, but only in specialized psychology contexts, referring to a person’s observable emotional expression, which is unrelated to this common phrase.

How can I remember which word to use in this phrase?

Try substituting ‘result’ or ‘gist’ into the sentence. If it fits, you need ‘effect.’

Is ‘to this effect’ correct?

Yes. ‘To this effect’ is just as correct as ‘to that effect.’ The choice depends on whether you’re pointing to something nearby (‘this’) or already mentioned (‘that’).

Is ‘to the effect of’ correct?

Yes. It’s a standard phrase used before a specific quote or paraphrase, as in ‘a statement to the effect of a delay.’

What’s the difference between ‘to that effect,’ ‘to this effect,’ and ‘to the effect of’?

‘That’ refers back to something already said. ‘This’ refers to something you’re about to say or just said. ‘To the effect of’ introduces a more specific paraphrase or quote. All three always use ‘effect,’ never ‘affect.’